Module Seven Review Questions Enterprise Information System

Activity 7.3 – Module Seven Review Questions

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Part I

What is the role of a project manager and program manager? What are the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to be a project manager?

The only thing the project manager and program manager share at my job is an office. The project manager deals with the teams and day-to-day issues that arise with each of the crews designated to the squadrons. “The project manager must be able to address issues related to how the system works, and have good negotiation skills, work well with the teams and be politically savvy to navigate through the implementation.” (Motiwalla, 2012). The program manager coordinates the projects for the company and deals with more of the logistics side to the entire ‘ERP’. As a floor mechanic, I have never had to conduct any type of business with the program manager.

Name five critical success factors and why they are important to the success of a project.

“The decision-making process, project scope, teamwork, change management, and the implementation team and executive team are the five critical success factors.” (Motiwalla, 2012). These factors can make a project successful by improving communication and training.

What role can the company executives play in an implementation? What is “scope creep” 
and why is it important to manage during an ERP implementation?

Executives’ role is to lead the herd. ERP implementation can turn a workplace upside down making production screech to a halt without proper management from the right executives set in place. “Scope creep’ is basically a well-thought-out process to manage changes to scope through white papers, which list the implications to the project’s time frame and budget considerations with recommendations.”(Motiwalla, 2012).

What are the steps in business process re-engineering? And why is BPR important in an ERP implementation?

“The five steps to BPR are preparation, define the ‘as is’, map out the ‘to be,’ test and measure new processes based on meeting goals and vision, and reevaluation. ERP vendors have worked to include best practices in their system within a given industry, whereas BPR identifies current processes and the change requirement to implement the best practices.”(Motiwalla, 2012).

“OPM3 will assess the company’s level of skills and ability to implement an ERP system successfully. The steps involved for this implementation are knowledge, assessment and improvement.”(Motiwalla, 2012)

• What does the organizational project management maturity model do for a company’s ERP implementation, and what are the steps involved in OPM3?

Part II

Review 5-10 job advertisements for a project manager role/position, and then do the following:

I found several positions for project managers on jsfirm.com, which is a website geared toward jobs in the aviation field. There were jobs for all the main companies like Gulfstream, URS, General Atomics, Bell, BAE and L2.

• Write a report that includes the references to the job ads you reviewed.

All the positions I found were basically described as the primary point of contact for the project both internally and with the customer. This position is responsible for managing all phases of a project. A typical project includes engineering development, prototype manufacturing, an aircraft installation, and transition to production.

• Describe the positions you reviewed.

The requirements for the positions were basically, a bachelor’s degree, an A&P license, 10+ years experience or equivalent military experience, excellent planning and organizational skills, the ability to manage multiple projects at the same time and obviously people skills.

• Summarize the skills and competencies required for the positions listed.